Upfronts

How I Met Your Dad Ditched by CBS in Big Upfronts Surprise

What seemed to be the surest bet for CBS’s fall lineup was missing from its upfront announcement this morning, leaving the network’s entertainment president “heartsick.” How I Met Your Dad, a spin-off starring Greta Gerwig of the network’s long-running hit How I Met Your Mother, will not air on CBS this fall, after producers Craig Thomas and Carter Bays rejected a request from the network to reshoot the pilot without a promise of a series pickup.

Speaking to the press and advertisers at the upfronts presentation today, CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler explained “there were elements of the pilot that didn’t work out,” and that “we felt re-piloting was in the best interest.” Bays and Thomas, who were also the creative forces behind How I Met Your Mother, wanted a full series commitment, given the show’s pedigree and importance to the network, before reshooting the pilot. Unable to come to terms, CBS was forced to pass on the series, which is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and is now available to be shopped to other networks. According to [Deadline],( http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/how-i-met-your-dad-not-going-forward-at-cbs-what-went-wrong-what-happens-next/) there is already interest, and it seems a solid bet that How I Met Your Dad will air somewhere this fall.

It’s odd to have a spin-off from one network’s mega hit pop up on another channel, but no odder than, say, Scrubs and Cougar Town switching networks midway through their runs. With both CBS and NBC abandoning the comedy block programming format popular since the 70s, comedies everywhere must fight harder to build audience loyalty and gain traction. With built-in name recognition, plus talented creators like Bays, Thomas, and Emily Spivey behind it, How I Met Your Dad is already way ahead of most of the competition. So which network is most in need of a high-profile comedy to boost its fortunes? Maybe the return of NBC’s Must-See TV is a lot closer than we think.